Sultan Mahmut II through the Eyes of Helmuth von Moltke

Helmuth von Moltke, a German officer who served as an advisor to the Turkish army between 1836 and 1839, offers an important historical window into the reform efforts of Sultan Mahmut II through his letters to his family and relatives.

A key figure in the modernization of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mahmut II's reform efforts took place during one of the most turbulent periods in history. In the early 19th century, struggling with the internal and external problems of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mahmut II understood that the state needed to be restructured and modernized.

This text offers an in-depth look at the challenges and achievements of Sultan Mahmut II's reign.


This process, from the collapse of the old order of the Ottoman Empire to the establishment of a new state structure, is still of great interest to historians and researchers. Sultan Mahmut II's courage, vision and reforms played an important role in laying the foundations of the Turkish Republic. In this article, we will look at how Sultan Mahmut II's modernization moves affected the Ottoman Empire and how these changes are reflected in the present day.

Here are some impressions from these letters:

"Thanks to the bitter experiences of eighteen years of his reign, Sultan Mahmud felt that he could not continue to govern the country with the existing state organization and decided to spearhead reforms with his intelligence and courage. However, although he was unprepared for the path of reform, he had the necessary vision to implement these necessary changes."

"The Janissaries, who resisted the reforms, had to be subjugated. Sultan Mahmud planned this dangerous step with intelligence and perseverance and solved the problem in one day with courage and luck."

"The process of destruction was complete, but it was time to build something better. The shortcomings of the state structure were recognized, but fixing them proved to be a more difficult task than tearing it down."


"Sultan Mahmud could not find an intellectual who could lead or assist in his innovative movement. Despite prejudices about the level of Turkish thought, Sultan Mahmud's difficulties in finding truly enlightened individuals are emphasized."

These impressions reflect the complexity of Sultan Mahmut's efforts and the challenges of his time. Sultan Mahmud's reform efforts were an important milestone in the modernization process of the Ottoman Empire and influenced the birth of the Turkish Republic.

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